Modern communication and data networks, such as Ethernet based networks, are comprised of nodes that transport data through the network. The nodes may include routers, switches, and/or bridges that transport the individual data frames or packets through the network. The nodes select paths for the individual data frames to travel through the network. A path is established from a first node to a second node, and the data frames are mapped to this path. The path may comprise a plurality of segments that connect between different nodes in the path. Each path may also be allocated or assigned network resources including dedicated bandwidth. Accordingly, the nodes along the path do not have to determine the path to transport the data frames. Instead, the nodes merely transport the data to the next node in the path. The data is transported from node to node through the network until the data arrives at the last node. The flow of data frames along the path may be referred to as a service instance (SI).